April Search Update

April 18, 2024

At this time, we are ready to start the process of finding our next pastor to come alongside John – a process that generally takes at least 18 months. While that can feel daunting, it’s critical that we take the time to consider our needs at Caldwell – prayerfully, thoughtfully and inclusively – and find the person best suited for our next pastoral role. While we don’t yet know who that pastor will be, God does, and is already preparing them to join us. While God is doing that work, we have much to do as well! Following is a brief outline of the steps ahead of us, which are also summarized in the included visual.

The first phase of calling a new pastor is to take adequate time to Listen. In light of what we believe God has called us to do in our next chapter, what kind of pastoral partner to John and us is needed? Where is the Spirit leading us to focus our ministry efforts, and what kind of leadership will we need to do that? What gifts do we need in a new pastoral leader to help our members grow in their faith and spiritual practices? The answers to all of these questions, and more, will inform our pastoral search. The Caldwell Session has called the Thriving Congregations team, led by Merrilyn Gill and Felicia Pine, to lead us through that listening process using group “house” meetings and individual “relational” conversations. Additional Caldwell members have recently joined the existing Thriving Congregations team to help design and execute this listening campaign; we are grateful to all who are taking on this important role for Caldwell. 

There will be many opportunities for each of us to participate and be heard over the next several months. Mark your calendars for the first of these sessions, a “Pie Night,” at 6:30 pm on April 25, in Hope Hall. Come, eat delicious pie, and start the process of sharing your hopes and dreams for our new pastor. RSVP here.

This fall, we will transition to the second phase of the process: Prepare. Thriving Congregations will provide the Session with a report on what they heard during the listening process. This will be one input to inform the Session’s decisions. One key decision will be whether to search for an Associate Pastor or a Co-Pastor. An Associate Pastor reports to the Pastor, and generally has a few specific areas of focus, such as congregational care or worship leadership. This is the model we used with Gail and that we currently have with Dot, who is serving as our Temporary Associate Pastor reporting to John. In a Co-Pastor model, two lead pastors share the responsibility of pastoral leadership with equal responsibility. It is too early to know which of these approaches will make sense for us; that will be part of the Session’s thoughtful consideration. It’s important to underscore that John is the one that introduced the possibility of working with a co-pastor. He wanted to ensure we, the congregation, understand and consider the range of possibilities for pastoral leadership for the years to come. (As he has written to the congregation, John plans to be at Caldwell for about 5 more years.)

As part of this phase, the Congregation takes the important step of electing a Nominating Committee. You may have heard acronyms like APNC (Associate Pastor Nominating Committee) or PNC (Pastor Nominating Committee). The type of Nominating Committee will depend on the decision by the Session described above as to what type of pastor we will call. Once elected, the Nominating Committee works on what is known as a “MIF” – a Ministry Information Form. Think of this as the resume of the church – what is Caldwell all about, what type of pastor are we searching for, and what specific characteristics and talents are needed at Caldwell at this point in time? Importantly, no member of the church staff is allowed to write the MIF – it is painstakingly, thoughtfully, prayerfully developed by the elected members of the Nominating Committee. Please start praying for whom we should elect to represent us on this critical work.

The final phases of our pastoral search process are Discern, Nominate, and Integrate. The Nominating Committee will review candidates, research their prior work and preaching, and select a short list of candidates to interview, all while carefully listening for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. The Presbytery also has a role in helping to identify candidates, and ensuring that they are vetted through established processes. Once a final candidate is selected, the Nominating Committee will present them to the Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry for approval, and then bring them to Caldwell for a congregational vote. After a new pastor has been called, we will work together to lovingly integrate them and their family (if applicable) into Caldwell and the Charlotte community.

Until we call a new pastor, our intent is to continue to have a Temporary Associate Pastor to work alongside John and the rest of the Caldwell staff. We are thrilled that Dot has joined us in that role through the end of 2024. We are already so blessed by her caring, her excellent preaching, and her engagement in various ministries of the church.

While there is much ahead of us, we will take it one step at a time – together – and will provide meaningful updates along the way. Let’s take that first step as a congregation at Pie Night on April 25! 

Questions? Please reach out to any of the following individuals, or any member of Caldwell staff: